Bursal peptide BP-IV as a novel immunoadjuvant enhances the protective efficacy of an epitope peptide vaccine containing T and B cell epitopes of the H9N2 avian influenza virus. (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Yongqing; Shen, Tengfei; Zhou, Jiangfei; Chen, Liangliang; Shi, Shuaibing; Wang, Xiaoli; Zhang, Min; Wang, Chen; Liao, Chengshui
• Is Part Of: Microbial pathogenesis. Volume 158(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: BPP-V -- BP-IV -- Epitope peptide vaccine -- H9N2 avian Influenza virus -- Adjuvant; Pathogenic microorganisms -- Periodicals; Pathology, Molecular -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- microbiology -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- parasitology -- Periodicals; Micro-organismes pathogènes -- Périodiques; Pathologie moléculaire -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 616.9041
• DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105095
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0882-4010

Abstract

Abstract: Short peptide antigens covering conserved T or B cell epitopes have been investigated in influenza vaccines. Bursal pentapeptide V (BPP–V) and bursal peptide IV (BP-IV) are small molecular peptides that were isolated and identified from the bursa of Fabricius (BF) and induce a strong immune response at both the humoural and cellular levels. To explore the molecular adjuvant potential of BPP-V and BP-IV with an epitope vaccine, an epitope peptide (HA284-298, GNCVVQCQTERGGLN) rich in T and B cell epitopes for the H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) haemagglutinin (HA) protein was selected. BPP-V and BP-IV were coupled with the epitope peptide sequence to form BPP-V and BP-IV-epitope vaccines, respectively. The immunoefficacy of BPP-V and BP-IV-epitope peptide vaccines was evaluated. The results showed that the epitope peptide had weak immunogenicity. The BPP-V-epitope peptide vaccine promoted only the secretion of anti-HA IgG and IgG1 antibodies. The BP-IV-epitope peptide vaccine not only promoted the production of anti-HA IgG and IgG1 antibodies but also significantly induced the production of the IgG2a antibody. The BP-IV-epitope peptide vaccine significantly promoted the production of interleukin (IL-4) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) (the BPP-V epitope peptide vaccine promoted only the production of IL-4), enhanced the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response, and increased the proportion of CD3 + T lymphocytes. Moreover, the BP-IV-epitope peptide vaccine promoted a cell-mediated immune response similar to that of the AIV vaccine group. Furthermore, BPP-V and BP-IV-epitope peptide vaccines could also accelerate the clearance of pulmonary virus and reduce pathological damage after the challenge with H9N2 AIV. This study demonstrates the potential of BP-IV as an effective adjuvant for the epitope peptide vaccine for the H9N2 AIV. Highlights: The addition of molecular adjuvant BP-IV could enhance the immunogenicity and protective effect of H9N2 AIV epitope peptide vaccine. The H9N2 AIV epitope peptide was predicted by immunoinformatics methods. The BP-IV epitope peptide vaccines could enhance humoral and cellular immune response, and reduce lung pathological damage in challenge mice.